Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Friday, May 18, 2018

Depictions of Autism in Television and Film

If you can think about any subject, there is probably a movie made about it.

According to current statistics, one in every 68 American children is affected by autism (one in 42 is the prevalence for males according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Those are astounding rates considering autism was thought to affect only three people in 10,000 during the 1990s. And yet very few book, television, or movie characters with autism spectrum conditions exist.

As more and more children are diagnosed, and as more and more non-autistic children become surrounded by those on the spectrum, it is more important than ever that we achieve further “neurodiversity” in our entertainment. All children need heroes, geniuses, princes/princesses and even villains that they can identify themselves with and feel that they have a connection to the world around them

For that, Autism Soccer has decided to bring you this,

10 Depictions of The Autism Spectrum on Film & Television

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: The Main character, Oskar Schell, who is a nine-year old boy with a brilliant mind, also presents an aversion to loud noises, lack of comfort in social interactions, some obsessive compulsive tendencies, and marked fixation with numbers, all of which suggest some sort of diagnosis somewhere on the Spectrum. This character has been the subject of many heated debates between those in the autism community who say that Oskar as inspiring as he is relatable
The Story of Luke: The movie stars after his grandmother and caretaker passes away, this is when the main character, Luke, a 25-year-old with ASD, lives to learn how to navigate through an unfamiliar world, all on his own. With determination, Luke sets out to find a job and even falls in love in the process.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape?: This one’s a classic. Gilbert Grape, the main character, is not the one diagnosed with ASD, instead, he becomes the primary caregiver for his younger brother Arnie, an energetic teenager with autism. Due to their mother’s disability, Gilbert becomes very protective of Arnie, because the boy doesn’t understand social expectations and norms as well as others, all this by living on a small town who is not the most tolerant of different people.
Mary and Max: “I do not feel disabled, defective or a need to be cured. I like being an Aspie. It would be like trying to change the color of my eyes.” Says Max, a 44 year old man who is pen-pal with an 8 years old Mary, who doesn’t feel like she fits in the social world as the rest of the girls and ends up making a friend in his fellow outcast, this is an emotional, fascinating movie, completely made in clay stop-motion.
Adam: ASD takes the leading role in this romantic comedy starring Adam, an electronics engineer who struggles with obsessive behavior, social awkwardness and a tendency to feel overwhelmed, al while forging a relationship with her neighbor Beth.
The Black Balloon: Set in Australia and starring two brothers, the film depicts the quirks of what it’s like to live with someone who has autism. Charlie, the deuteragonist, can be lovable and endearing, but he also throws tantrums, screaming and inflicting physical harm on his family members.
The Girl With the dragon Tattoo: Despite Stieg Larsson (author of the original saga) never uses the words “autism” or “Asperger’s” to describe the titular character (Lisbeth Salander), the withdrawn Lisbeth often avoids social contact, and her knack for facts and computers often falls into the classic depiction of those on the Spectrum.
Rain Man: It is impossible to leave this one out. It stars Raymond, who is an autistic savant and his adventures with his brother Charlie. Even today the film remains an important step in the evolution of the portrayal of characters on the autism spectrum.
Sesame Street: Some classic Tv shows can surprize us with a modern twist. Enter Julia, an adorable muppet of a girl who effectively (and affectively) teaches children at home about the differences and similarities of those within the spectrum.
Bones: A lack of interest in being social whatsoever, a sharp intellect and gift for scientific facts, as well as an elementary understanding of sarcasm, Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan is a powerful, feminist depiction of Asperger syndrome on modern tv.

Here at Autism Soccer, we aim to make the world into a more tolerable and inclusive place, we try to do this by showing how autistic people are as functional as anyone else. Don’t hesitate in writing your comments and questions in the section below, as well as following us on our social networking.

Movies like "Rain Man" are powerful and moving depictions of autism in film history.

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Monday, April 30, 2018

Influence of Art in ASD Children

All children can and deserve to make art

Art is a part of humanity, and it's unthinkable to deny a child to the opportunity of creating something beautiful.

Dear readers, parents, teachers, tutors, Autistic Soccer can empathize that educating autistic children can seem like a challenge at some point. Indeed, it’s often hard enough to educate children without ASD, but to commit into getting and maintaining the attention of a child with autism when trying to teach them about something in which they have no interest whatsoever can seem, at times, nigh on impossible.

Kids with ASD may often require very specialized teaching methods in order to combat sensory issues, difficulties in focusing on certain things, communication issues, and possibly attention deficiency. These problems may lead many to wrongly believe that the child is stupid or unskilled, and a lack of socially interactive skills on the part of the ASD child does nothing to help this prejudice. The common perception is that children who can’t get along with school, can’t get along in the real world.

This can prove to be frustrating for parents who want to ensure that their child gets the best possible education and best possible start in life and thus his future. However, a little patience, understanding, and creativity when it comes to education, can go a long way if it’s done with the heart. The use of art as a teaching tool can have unparalleled effects in opening up an avenue of communication between student and teacher, and in engaging the interest of the pupil.

How Art Can Be Beneficial for Children Living with Autism

Art lessons for children have benefits of both practical and emotional nature. Some young autistic children may more than often struggle with their fine motor skills, for which the simple act of guiding crayons over paper can render a huge and noticeable improvement. However, as well as honing their motor skills, making drawings allows autistic children to communicate thoughts and feelings they may otherwise have a hard time to express. Viewing a child’s drawing opens a window into their interests, preoccupations, and emotions which may go unregarded in a child with ASD, who doesn’t communicate these things in a conventional way, but that doesn’t mean they must go unnoticed at all.

On similar instances, people with ASD can respond in surprisingly positive ways to creative teaching methods. Music, in particular, has been found to engage amazing responses from children with ASD. Many autistic children respond with far more enthusiasm to a music-oriented lesson or with a noticeable rhythm than they would to a more conventional lesson.

Some ASD children like the patterns and rhythms of music or chants (because they have order and harmony, notions that attract them), and these can benefit from, for example, math lessons phrased in rhyme, or chanted. Some other children like the opportunity that music gives to them to engage with others through clearly defined parameters, thus allowing them to socialize. Making music or singing a song with the rest of the class gives the autistic child a part to play, which is predictable and easy to complete yet simultaneously creative, expressive, and most important, inclusive. Making them feel included and important is one of the greatest ways a teacher can ensure that the mind of an autistic pupil is in tune with the class, that their attention is on the lesson and, this is vital, that they are enjoying the lesson.

A Special Note for Our Teachers and Parents

Visual aids can prove to be useful for those teaching autistic children. Those who provide resources for the teaching of autistic children recommend the use of visual aids to help clarify certain concepts which may be confusing for someone with ASD. Autistic children are less likely than other children to just accept the word that their teacher presents when the reasoning behind an action or concept seems incomprehensible.

Visual aids help to illustrate these concepts in an easier fashion, making them seem much more reasonable. This principle can be carried through into the classroom in general as well. Dear reader, here at Autism Soccer we recommend the use of a highly visually defined teaching area to help children get into a “learning” state of mind, and to make clear that you can’t act in this space as you would act at home (setting boundaries and disciple). Many autistic children appreciate clear boundaries and definitions because they bring order to a world they often find chaotic, and there is no more effective way of defining a boundary than through clear visual markers.

As you have read, here at Autism Soccer we care about art, education, and most important, our readers. Follow us on our social networks and don’t hesitate to leave your comments in the section below.

Painting is a healthy form of expression.

Not all autistic children despise the texture of paint on their fingers.

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Friday, April 27, 2018

Top 10 Artists Within the Spectrum

From Tim Burton to Daryl Hannah, many famous artists have lived within the autistic spectrum

Throughout history we have been witnesses (and fans) of the work of some of the greatest artists in the world of music, painting, film and theater, these are individuals that we admire for their dedication and for the creation of masterpieces; they have brought a never seen before perspective to their respective guilds, some of them even had to overcome great difficulties in their lives to be able to create these wonderful works of art.

What many of us do may not know is that some of these artists had to overcome one of the biggest obstacles: Rejection, and a difficulty in tightening social and affective bonds; That's right, some of the greatest artists in history live or lived within the autistic spectrum, even before this condition began to be diagnosed by doctors. This is a list of 10 exceptional artists whose condition did not prevent them from reaching greatness.

Did you know these Artists were in the autism Spectrum?

Courtney Love: One of the most controversial and highly glamorized singers from the past decade, selling multiple platinum level albums and songs though her career. While now being past 50, she still continues to be an active artist and actress as well.It was revealed through her biography by Poppy Z that Love was mildly autistic. According to statements made by Love herself, her social skills have always been below those shown by average individuals. To better herself, she and her friends visited LGBT clubs to soothe her frustration and improve her social skills.Despite the condition, she has shown shear resilience and an undeniable attitude towards her commitment for her career and her fans alike.
Susan Boyle: Back in 2009, this Scottish singer auditioned for the Britain’s Got Talent, and she touched our hearts with her mesmerizing voice and instantly became a sensation. After that, she never looked back and went onto selling no less than 14 million records around the world. Until recently, Boyle announced that she was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, through a Scottish specialist, to which she called “a relief”. According to her “Asperger’s doesn’t define me. It’s a condition that I have to live with and work through, but I feel more relaxed about myself,” she said in one of her many interviews.
Stanley Kubrick: One of the most recognizable Film Directors by his attention to detail, Stanley was quite obsessive and had trouble dealing with people while making movies. It is now known that his Asperger’s led to his passionate attention to detail and his eventual fame as a film director, Kubrick was diagnosed in retrospect by Dr. Michael Fitzgerald. He based his diagnosis mostly on Kubrick’s behavioral traits like obsessive interests, poor sociability and lack of adaptability towards trying new things.
Hans Christian Andersen: This is none other than the beloved writer of such fairy tales as The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling. The experts go back and forth over whether he was autistic or not. Most of those who insist that he appeared somewhere on the spectrum are those who are autistic themselves, and relate to Andersen on a personal level.Andersen’s diary describes to great length his many bouts of unrequited love for those who he considered unattainable. The experts also note the recurring theme of outcast characters in his stories. Most never achieve their sought after happy endings.
Tim Burton: Is this iconic Film Director within the spectrum? His long-time partner (and mother to his children), Helena Bonham Carter, speculated that he was “possibly autistic” during an interview. While researching an autistic character for a film, Carter claims, she had an “a-ha moment” and realized that many treats of her research applied to Burton. Said Carter, “Autistic people have application and dedication. You can say something to Tim when he’s working and he doesn’t hear you. But that quality also makes him a fantastic father; he has an amazing sense of humor and imagination. He sees things other people won’t see.”
Lewis Carroll: The controversial author of the classic book Alice in Wonderland. While some of his behavioral traits like continuously seeking the company of young girls, has made some experts wonder if the university professor was actually a pedophile, others use the same information to theorize that Carroll was autistic.Lewis Carroll lived in a different time and place, with very different social norms than what we are used to today. He was also known to be a quite poor communicator, and thus likely found interacting with children much easier than with adults. Finally, Carroll showed great mathematical and logical ability, both common traits of those on the spectrum.
Michelangelo: This illustrious Renaissance artist that was most noted for being unable to keep relationships with anybody. Some doctors have even hypothesized that his troubled social life and Asperger’s symptoms led to a more intense focus on his art work, which led him to paint the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.
Daryl Hannah: The Star of movies like Splash and Steel Magnolias didn’t always have the ideal life, during her youth her social interaction was a nightmare for Hannah. She would even rock back and forth to self-soothe and and was so shy that once she began acting she refused to give interviews or even attend her own premieres. Though she has mostly learned to gain control over herself and live with her diagnosis, Hannah has all but left the entertainment business to focus on environmental issues.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Most scholars now agree that musical mastermind Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was somewhere within the spectrum. Mozart was allegedly extremely sensitive to loud noises, had a quite short attention span, and could change rapidly through a cycle of facial expressions within seconds. In one well-documented situation, a very bored Mozart began doing cartwheels and vaults over tables while meowing loudly, much like a cat.
Andy Warhol: Some Experts (like Judith Gould, the director of the leading diagnostic center for autism in the United Kingdom) insist that it would be logical that Andy Warhol was living with autism. As we recollect from his lifetime, much of the artist’s work focused on repetition, on which those with autism more than often fixate. In interviews, Warhol almost always responded to questions with monosyllabic answers, possibly evidence that he had the verbal dyslexia that is so common among those on the spectrum. He reportedly refused to wear anything but a certain kind of green underwear. Those who argue against this posthumous diagnosis strongly suggest that Warhol’s different behavior was a calculated and voluntary effort to “enhance a sense of mystery.”

Here at Autism Soccer, we show you that no matter in what part of the spectrum you are, yu can not only look up to those before you that overcame the hardships of living witht this condition, but that you too can achieve great deeds

Literature, music and photography: autism has influenced the world of art for ages.

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Thursday, February 16, 2017

Paint the Autism

Individuals with autism can sometimes develop the hability to paint beautiful pieces or art.

There are forms of expression that aren’t just said with words. Music, literature and composition are examples of this. Painting is a form of expression that requires a creative mind and deep inspirational ideas to be done. Imagine how it feels like to be recognized for what you did with your brush on hand. Painting is a way to express what you feel or think through specific techniques that differentiate between artists, and the whole process of painting until it’s done: that’s art.

Autism children have a characteristic way of being that’s very similar to the attitude of artists: they’re different, and they’re aware of that. That’s what makes them so special and unique.

Children with autism are as capable of making art as those who do not have this special condition. Since some of them find it difficult to express emotions, art shows itself as the solution for the problem. They’re highly visual, so given the chance and the practice, your children can become a true artist.

How does art affect the growth of children? Massively, just like I said: they’re visual-oriented, they can extract lots of information just by watching. And there’s more, when drawing, it also helps with their social interaction in a group, a better notion of their surroundings and awareness of what’s going on. With some practice in that area those skills can increase further, making them even better at painting.

Art has many ways of being interpreted. Autism children put all their feelings and thoughts in what they draw, making them very diverse in the art they make. Encourage your children in trying new things; get them materials to give them freedom to choose. They need you to make what they want to happen, and you have to be there and aid them in their way. If you’re in the need of support for your children, Autism Soccer will be there for you. Reach for them and rest assured that your child will be in safe hands.